News Archive - 2010

Harvesting Energy from Passing Trains
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Innowattech the Israeli company that made news last year when it unveiled a method for harvesting electricity from roads is at it again. This time, the company co-founded by Technion Professor Haim Abramovich is testing its piezoelectric technology on railroad tracks.

Robotic Suit: A Miracle for the New Year
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
In the December 7 episode of the TV hit Glee, the character Artie, a high school student who is confined to a wheelchair, gets up and starts walking. Was the device "just Hollywood magic or based on real science?" asks a recent Newsweek article. The good news for some 125,000 paraplegics in the U.S., is that the device, called ReWalk, which got its start at the Technion incubator, is very real.

One Man's Quest to Treat Brain Diseases
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Technion Prof. Emeritus Moussa Youdim was awarded the 2010 EMET Prize for his Contributions to Brain Science in the category of Life Sciences, at a ceremony held in Jerusalem on November 24. The $1 million EMET Prize, which will be shared by seven other scientists, is sponsored by the A.M.N. Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Art and Culture in Israel to recognize academic and professional achievements that have a far-reaching influence on society.

Making 3D Avatars the Easy Way
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a user-friendly method for creating realistic three-dimensional avatars (graphical representations of computer users) from any digital image. The team led by Associate Professor Ayellet Tal of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering says the method can be used without regard to the targeted model's proportions to create undistorted 3D avatars. Avatars are used in computer games, and/or in Internet forums and other online communities.

Technion Hosts Prime Minister's Prize Ceremony
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
In a ceremony held Thursday, November 18th at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu awarded the first Prime Minister's Prize for Initiatives and Innovation, under the umbrella of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The prize, which includes more than $20,000 for each recipient, is designed to encourage initiatives, innovative thinking, imagination and creativity and to foster changes in the areas of the environment, society, science, technology and others.

Pomegranate Juice Could Help Dialysis Patients
Friday, November 19, 2010
According to a new study by researchers at the Technion Faculty of Medicine and Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, pomegranate juice that has safe and monitored potassium content could help prevent complications among kidney disease patients on dialysis. The results were presented November 18th at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Denver.

Technion granted $4.7 M grant from European Union for Airport Security
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The European Union (EU) has awarded Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers $4.7 million to improve security for air travelers. The researchers will focus their efforts on developing a dynamic and realistic model for behavior and decision-making during security threats at airports.

Researchers Tap New Source of Cancer Markers in Blood
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The future of cancer diagnosis may lie in just a few milliliters of blood, according to a research team led by Professor Arie Admon of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Former Technion President Yitzhak Apeloig Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Past President Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) during an October 9 ceremony in Cambridge, Mass. The program officially welcomed the Academy's 230th class of Fellows, who are recognized for cutting edge research and scholarship, artistic accomplishment and exemplary service to society.

Finding Israel's New Heroes In The Lab
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
In this inspiring opinion column that appeared in the August 20 issue of the Jewish Week, ATS Executive Vice President Melvyn H. Bloom describes the heroism of Israeli scientists who are devoting their lives to the advancement of science and improving life for people around the world.

Power Plants Could One Day Be Plant-Powered
Monday, August 30, 2010
In what could one day change the definition of "power plant," researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have manipulated the photosynthetic process of plants in a way that may possibly enable the energy produced in the process to be harnessed for later use as electricity.

"Trojan Horse" Delivery System Attacks Cancer Cells from Inside
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Combining nature and Greek mythology, researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a tiny "Trojan Horse" system for delivering cancer-fighting drugs. With this system, the drugs are delivered only once they are inside the cancerous cells, so there is no damage to the healthy cells in the surrounding area.

$20 Million Gift Helps Technion Become an Energy Innovation Leader
Friday, June 18, 2010
The American Technion Society (ATS) has received a $20 million gift from Stephen and Nancy Grand of San Francisco to name the Nancy and Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a campus-wide effort to turn the university into a global leader in energy innovation.

ATS Successfully Completes $1 Billion Campaign
Monday, June 14, 2010
The American Technion Society (ATS) has successfully completed its $1 billion "Shaping Israel's Future" campaign. This was the largest campaign ever for an American organization raising funds for Israeli higher education, and one of the largest among American universities; only some 29 major American universities have billion dollar campaigns.

Big Bang Theory Could Use Some Tweaks
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Big Bang theory is still the best way to describe the earliest days of the universe, but evidence from nearby galaxies suggests that the theory may be due for some tweaks, according to a Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researcher and colleagues.

Graphene production could mean advanced touchscreens, more
Sunday, May 30, 2010
An international team of researchers has come up with a method for the production of bulk quantities of one-atom-thick sheets of carbon called graphene, a development that could lead to novel carbon composites and touch-screen displays.

Stem Cells "Born" at the Technion Get New Life
Thursday, May 13, 2010
In a victory for stem cell researchers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has re-approved for federally funded research four stem cell lines that originated from cells "born" at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The April 27th approval of the H7, H9, H13 and H14 stem cell lines -- all of which were derived in collaboration with Prof. Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor of the Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Health Care Campus -- means the potentially life-saving research conducted with them can continue.

Worms Provide Clues About How Neurons Form Menorahs
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A breakthrough about the formation and maintenance of tree-like nerve cell structures could have future applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and the repair of injuries in which neurons are damaged. The findings by the international team led by Prof. Benjamin Podbilewicz of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Faculty of Biology are published in the May 6th issue of Science Express.

Pendulum-Launched Basketball Wins 2010 TechnoBrain Competition
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A pendulum-launched basketball traveled far enough to win the 2010 installment of "Dr. Bob's TechnoBrain" competition at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The objective of the April 7th competition was to design and launch objects from a 39-ft. high, swinging pendulum. The object that rolled the furthest distance (objects used ran the gamut from bicycle tires to super balls and gears to basketballs) once released from the pendulum was the winner.

Yitzhak Apeloig Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Former Technion President Professor Yitzhak Apeloig is among 229 leaders in the sciences, the humanities and the arts, business, public affairs, and the nonprofit sector who have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The newly announced Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members join one of the world's most prestigious honorary societies. This year's class will be inducted during an October 9, 2010 ceremony to be held in Cambridge, Mass.

Comprehensive Alzheimer's Drug is Licensed
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Ladostigil -- a novel compound designed to provide comprehensive medical treatment for Alzheimer's disease -- is one step closer to reaching the market. Born in the minds and labs of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Prof. Moussa B.H. Youdim and Hebrew University Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin, the drug in animal studies provided symptomatic anti-Alzheimer's, anti-Parkinson's and anti-depressant activities, and the potential to improve behavioral and psychological dementia symptoms, such as depression, anxiety and extrapyramidal symptoms.

3D Underwater Images Made Possible by Flickering Sunbeams
Friday, April 2, 2010
By taking advantage of a previously undesirable optical effect, researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the University of Miami have discovered a way to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of underwater scenes.

Good News for Elderly Sleep Apnea Sufferers
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Findings from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology could provide good news for elderly patients who suffer from sleep apnea. The research results from noted sleep researcher (and current Technion President) Professor Peretz Lavie and his wife, Dr. Lena Lavie of the Technion Faculty of Medicine show that elderly patients with moderate sleep apnea live longer than their counterparts in the general population.

Stealth UAV, Lunar Elevator Among Student-Developed Projects
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A "Stealth UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)," a theoretical lunar space elevator, and a dragonfly-inspired reconnaissance plane with a 9-inch wingspan were among the projects designed by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology students and presented at the 50th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, which took place February 17-18 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Genetic Factors Can Help Predict Risk for Kidney Disease
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Israeli and American researchers have identified new genetic data that could be used in the future to predict who will develop end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). ESKD requires dialysis or transplantation to sustain life, and is fatal in most regions of the world, where these treatments are not available.

Technion Breakthrough Could Change Sampling Technology Forever
Friday, January 22, 2010
Researchers from the Technion-Israel institute of Technology have made a breakthrough that could revolutionize the way broadband signals are sampled, recorded and processed. The breakthrough could someday be used to make significant improvements in radar capabilities and performance, increase the capacity of audio recording devices, and reduce patient exposure to radiation during such procedures as MRIs, x-rays and CT-scans.